NDLEA arrests undergraduates, nursing mother

The Akwa Ibom Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arrested three undergraduates for trafficking substances suspected to be banned drugs, its Eket Area Commander, Mrs Imaette Umoumana, has said.

Umoumana, who said the suspects were students of Maritime Academy, Oron; Heritage Polytechnic and Covenant University, said: “We arrested the students at different joints during the holidays. We also arrested nursing mothers with babies, who were caught selling substances suspected to be Indian hemp, were also arrested.”

She said the suspects were arrested through “classified informantion” and routine surveillance by officers of the command, adding that their cases had been transferred to the state headquarters of the agency.

Umoumana said the command had begun drug awareness guide for youths and drug dealers in the area, adding that the command was also counselling drug users to rehabilitate them.

A physically challenged man, she also said, was arrested for cultivating Indian hemp farm in his premises at Esit Eket, adding that more than 10 “joints” where illicit substances were being smoked had been closed down by the command.

At Afaha Eket Primary School, the Commander said a security officer, Ekemini Inyang, was arrested for selling illicit substances in the premises.

The NDLEA boss also said the command had arrested 30 drug peddlers with 20.9 kilogramme of cannabis between March and now.

She, however, expressed regret that some members of the public behave like “enemies” of the agency by allegedly hampering its operations, explaining: “When we go for arrests, some people will gather to fight us. Instead of appreciating our effort, they will come out and accuse us of spoiling their businesses.”

She, therefore, advised communities to assist the agency with useful information that would enable it to perform its functions effectively.